Padres Sign Nabil Crismatt To Minor League Deal

Right-hander Nabil Crismatt is headed back to the Padres organization, the pitcher himself announced via Instagram. Crismatt, who was released from a minor league deal with the Rangers earlier this week, signed a minor league contract with San Diego, reports Annie Helibrunn of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

The 29-year-old Crismatt has logged 177 innings across parts of five MLB seasons with four different teams — but the vast majority of that work (159 2/3 innings) has come as a member of the Padres. He suited up for San Diego from 2021-23 and logged a combined 3.83 ERA with a 21.1% strikeout rate, 7.7% walk rate and six holds in that time. Crismatt made his big league debut with the 2020 Cardinals and has also pitched for the D-backs and Dodgers since leaving San Diego (in addition to this year’s Triple-A stint with Texas’ top affiliate).

The Dodgers signed Crismatt to a minor league deal over the winter and gave him seven innings of work in the big leagues early this season. He allowed a pair of runs on seven hits and no walks with six strikeouts in that L.A. cameo but was nevertheless designated for assignment and passed through waivers. He opted for free agency, signed a minor league pact with the Rangers in late May, and spent about a month with their Round Rock affiliate.

Crismatt has been tagged for a 6.46 ERA in 23 2/3 Triple-A frames between the Dodgers and Rangers this season, though he sports a much stronger K-BB profile than that mark would suggest: a 23.4% strikeout rate and tiny 3.8% walk rate. He’s been plagued by a BABIP near .400 between those two stops, which has helped to inflate his earned run average.

For now, Crismatt will head to El Paso to serve as a depth option for the Friars. But given their familiarity with the right-hander and his solid big league track record — a 3.71 ERA overall in his 177 MLB innings with solid strikeout and walk rates — it wouldn’t be a surprise if he got a look in the majors at some point in the relatively near future.